


Promise

by orphan_account



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Angst, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, F/F, Gay, Hurt Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Mentioned Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra), Poor Catra (She-Ra), Poor Life Choices, Scene Rewrite, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power season 1, being an old ass bitch as per usual, but she's in denial so does it count?, catradora, catradora but make it angsty, i think it does, idk why, light hope's here, spop season 1, this is my first fic and its angsty, venti gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She could put the sword down, and reach for Adora’s hands. She could pull her up to her, hold her close, where she couldn’t run away again. Couldn’t leave her. Couldn’t break her heart again. They could both walk out unharmed. They could go back to the Horde. Everything would be right again. Adora would be home.But that wasn't what she wanted.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Kudos: 33
Collections: Shera





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a rewrite of my favorite season 1 scene. The scene was brief, so we didn't get to really see her thoughts, but I thought it'd be nice to write them out. Featuring Shadow Weaver's A+ parenting. Minor spoilers for She-Ra season 1 episode 11.

Catra stood on the ledge over the canyon in the Citadel, gripping The Sword of Protection in her claws. She ran her finger over the edge of it, looking down at Adora.

“Hey, Adora,” She said, looking down at the sword, which gleamed in the pink light radiating off the walls. 

“Catra,” Adora begged. “Help me, please.” She looked almost relieved. As if Catra’d instantly reach for her and pull her up like she used to when they were training. She thought she’d come to help her. 

No. Adora had never helped her. She had always cared more about what Shadow Weaver thought of her more than she cared about what Catra needed. When she did protect her, it was only to feed her hero complex. She always needed to play the hero.

Catra was at a crossroads.

  
She could put the sword down, and reach for Adora’s hands. She could pull her up to her, hold her close, where she couldn’t run away again. Couldn’t leave her. Couldn’t break her heart again. They could both walk out unharmed. They could go back to the Horde. 

Everything would be right again. Adora would be home.

But that wasn’t what she wanted to do. If she took her back, she’d lose her position, and the only bits of appreciation Shadow Weaver had ever shown her. And what would she gain? A girl who abandons her friends for sparkly princesses, leaving her behind to face the wrath of their commanding officer. She was doing better without her than she ever had with her around. She was winning. 

“This thing wouldn’t work for me if I tried, would it?” Catra asked. She wasn’t paying attention to Adora, who was struggling to hold on to the green web left behind by Light Hope’s spiders. She was still looking at the sword, turning it over in her hands. Catra looked down at Adora. 

“It only works for you.” She swung the sword around, listening to it whistle as it cut through the air. “You’re special.” 

Special. She was the special girl, who was chosen to be force captain. The special girl, who exceeded in every training exercise. The special girl, who everyone was proud of. 

“That’s what Shadow Weaver always said.”

“Catra,” Adora pleaded. “What are you doing?” 

Adora’s hopeful expression was gone, replaced with a serious one. Catra could see fear in her eyes. 

She’d made her decision. 

She wouldn’t die; deep down, Catra knew that. She wouldn’t ever be rid of her. Even if she did fall into the oblivion, never to crawl back out, she’d still haunt her. Her dreams, her memories- every part of her mind would be filled with Adora. But at least, if she did this, now, she’d never have to see the face of the woman she loved, who betrayed her, left her, ever again. 

“Ah, you know, it all makes sense now,” She said, walking away from the ledge. She heard Adora let out a gasp as she turned her back on her. “You’ve always been the one holding me back.” 

She was the reason Catra was never a force captain. She was the reason Shadow Weaver never appreciated her. Adora was in the way. She was an obstacle. One that needed to be removed. 

And for a second, it hurt. Just for a moment. She’d have to let her go. If she let her fall, would she ever be able to live with herself? What would she even do without her? It was hard to imagine a world without Adora. She was gone from the Horde, yes; she’d left her. But she’d never really been gone. She was always around the corner, waiting to attack her, fight her, as if they’d never been friends. As if they hadn’t survived Shadow Weaver together.

As soon as the feeling came, it was gone. She realized something; once Adora was gone, she would thrive. She would finally be happy. Without her. She had held her back. On purpose. She wanted Catra to lean on her, so that she could never rise above her. It all made sense now.

“You wanted me to think I’d needed you. Wanted me to feel weak.” Adora looked up at her, and Catra stared right back down. She wouldn’t feel bad for her. “Every hero needs a sidekick, right?” 

“Catra, no, that’s not how it was,” Adora cried, her voice breaking as she shook her head. Catra laughed as the Citadel’s simulation started to break down around her. 

She stuck the sword in the ground, and knelt down, looking over the ledge. Now Adora was weak. Now Adora needed her. 

“The sad thing is, I spent all this time hoping you’d come back to the Horde, when really, you leaving was the _best thing that_ _ever happened to me._ ”  
  


Adora’s breath caught as she looked up at Catra, tears welling in her eyes. It wasn’t true. She had needed Catra, loved Catra. She could have come with her. She could have been  _ good _ . Why didn’t she?

“I am so much stronger than anyone could have thought,” Catra said as she dragged the sword’s tip over the webbing. It split easily, tearing as Adora fell farther down into the canyon. She was struggling to hold on. 

“I wonder what I could have been if I’d gotten rid of you sooner,” Catra thought out loud. She could have been great. She was more than capable of doing everything Adora could do. Not only that- she was better at it. If Adora had never been there, Shadow Weaver would have been  _ proud  _ of her. 

Proud. 

She dragged the tip of the sword over the last of the webbing. 

Adora cried out as she fell- but she didn’t fall far. She latched onto a rock sticking out of the side of the chasm. She was still holding on. 

Why wouldn’t she just let go?

Catra looked down at Adora. How much better would her life be after she walked back into the Fright Zone with news of She-Ra demise? Catra, the soldier who everyone underestimated, who defeated the legendary warrior She-Ra. Shadow Weaver would be so proud of her, she’d forget about Adora.

“I- I’m sorry!” Adora yelled up. “I never meant to make you feel like you were second best!”

Of course, she didn’t. She was the hero, who could do no wrong.

“Please, don’t do this!”

Catra looked at the sword in her hand as the simulation continued to fracture around her. She smiled, and tossed it over the edge, hearing the sound of metal on metal as it hit the wall before falling into the void. 

“Bye, Adora,” She said. “I really am going to miss you.”   
  


She turned and walked out of the Citadel. She listened as Adora cried her name, begging her to turn around, to stop- but Catra didn’t look back. As she was walking, she heard a voice- not Adora’s, but someone else’s. The hologram.

_ You must let go. _

And that’s exactly what she’d do.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> remember that time Catra almost murdered Adora that was fun  
> this scene really said long live the king


End file.
